Taste of Life
by AcousticMemory
Summary: Sequel to Sweet Dreams. Now mated to the demon king Kenpachi, Ichigo must readjust to his new life. AU, KenIchi, yaoi, smut, Mpreg. Minor IkkaYumi.
1. Chapter 1

Taste of Life

Viva la Viveca

Disclaimer: I can't remember the name of the guy who owns Bleach. I just remember the name of the guy who owns Ichigo. His name is Kenpachi Zaraki. The other guy... well, he should find solace that I don't profit from things like this.

Summary: Sequel to Sweet Dreams. Now mated to the demon king Kenpachi, Ichigo must readjust to his new life. AU, KenIchi, yaoi, smut, Mpreg. Minor IkkaYumi.

To My Regular Reviewers: Betcha didn't miss me too long, didja?! DDDDD I plan for the chapters to be much longer in this one. I'm talking like double chapter length (think about as long as the very last chapter of SD.)

Chapter 1 :: Morning

Ichigo groaned miserably, trying to block out the bright sun filtering through the one large window in the room. He had once questioned why there was only one window, but today, he decided, he wished that window would fucking disappear. His head hurt. His ass hurt more, now that he attempted to move. His arms were a bit sore, and there were muscle aching that he didn't even know existed until now.

"Ahhh fuck..." he burrowed into the blankets and scooted to get closer to his lover. All he got was the empty space where the larger man normally lay. "Kenpachi???"

His throat sounded a bit raw, and he knew exactly what from. The exact same thing that was causing his pain everywhere else; Kenpachi's insatiable sex drive. Ichigo sat up with some difficult, looking around the room with bleary eyes and wondering where the hell he had disappeared off to so early in the damned morning. "Kenpachi?" he sighed when he got no reply, flopping back in the large bed. It felt empty whenever Kenpachi wasn't in it with him, which was extremely rare.

Of course six months ago, when he originally met Kenpachi, he never figured he would be so totally, utterly... well... in love.

Now it wasn't even a question whether he loved the man or not. It was a fact of life, and Ichigo couldn't imagine the world without him. Well... he could, but he figured he'd still be miserable, or worse, mated to some idiot like Grimmjow. Not that he didn't like Grimmjow, he just wasn't fit to be a mate.

Ichigo sat up again and managed to get out of bed with a little bit of effort. Finally he made his way to the bathroom to assess the damage done to him the night before. Most people would be horrified by the bruises on his thighs and legs and arms, but he smiled. They were an improvement over just a couple months ago when Kenpachi had first let loose his full power and had gotten a bit carried away. Now he could get away with just a few minor bruises while Kenpachi had his eyepatch off. Which he required while they were alone. Getting used to that power bearing down on him hadn't been difficult, it was just during their sex that it got a little too much to deal with.

He climbed into a shower without another thought, his aching body soaking up the hot water like a sponge. His groan was in pleasure this time as he slowly relaxed and his muscles began to feel a little better. At least most of them. He knew his ass would be sore for a day or two from the abuse it had taken last night. He was thankful for his ability to heal so quickly otherwise he had no doubt he would have been permanently damaged internally months ago. He didn't blame Kenpachi, he normally was moaning and trying to get more and Kenpachi didn't seem to know his own strength when handling him. He knew it was because he let Kenpachi do what he wanted, and because he could tolerate the strength. Besides, his mate would most likely leave him be for a couple days and treat him like a wounded child. Ichigo didn't mind those days one bit.

He had gotten into a pattern here, almost like his routine he had at home, only with a lot more sex involved and a certain demon child attached to his leg most of the day. He didn't mind Yachiru calling him mommy really, it was just a fact of life and he knew some day he would have kids of his own and Kenpachi's calling him the same damn thing.

Every morning he woke up. Some morning he woke up in pain. Some mornings he woke up with a cock still shoved up his ass. Some mornings he actually woke up without any pain. Then he showered (it was pointless to shower at night for him after all), and headed down to the kitchen for a wonderful breakfast, provided by their cook Yumichika. Yumichika was a pleasant fellow, the mate of one of the guards in the manor, and only a half demon himself. This was something they found they had in common, their human blood. And they often talked about their families. Yumichika's had been forced to sell him for the right to live, and he had wound up in the hands of his future mate Ikkaku's family. He had grown up with Ikkaku and when it was discovered he was a carrier for their race, he was pretty much hitched off to the man then and there. Yumichika didn't mind; he and Ikkaku had been having an affair for almost a year by then.

Afterwards they had escaped their homeland when it was destroyed by a minor demon lord on a rampage, and Kenpachi had taken them in and gave them shelter. And jobs. And a bedroom they could use for more than just sleeping. Ikkaku was one of the few that Kenpachi called a friend.

Ichigo loved the story, mostly because when Yumichika told it he became so lively, and his eyes lit up in the memories. It was nice to know someone else had gotten their happy ending, especially since stories like that seemed rare.

Yachiru's story was a nice one too, albeit much gorier and shorter. She had met Kenpachi on the battlefield shortly after the Demon Wars had ended, crawling around and trying to get to the other side so she could get away. She came across Kenpachi sitting there by himself looking at the dead body of his father, who had died trying to take out the last of the rebellion alongside the remnants of Isshin Kurosaki's army. She looked up at him, giggled, poked his sword and then attached herself to his leg. That was that. Kenpachi took her back home with him since she was the first to not be afraid of his power besides his own, now dead, family. He adopted her as his daughter and awaited the day Isshin would have a daughter that he would take as his mate. He got Ichigo.

Ichigo had once voiced his silent fear of Kenpachi getting bored and some day not wanting him; of wanting a real woman instead of some half-breed male that could give birth because of the demon race's circumstances. To say Kenpachi's reaction was angry was an understatement. There was a long drawn out speech (with a very loud voice that he denied was yelling), about how much he loved Ichigo and how long he had been waiting for **him** even though he could have mated **long** ago (Ichigo only knew that Kenpachi was somewhere under a hundred years old as he was old enough to partcipate in the Demon Wars over fifty years prior,) and how he would never get bored.

The he decided to show him why. That was the first night Ichigo had ever gotten to look in **both** Kenpachi's eyes while he screamed out his name in orgasmic bliss. After that Ichigo was determined to get used to Kenpachi's power, and to teach the demon king to be a tad bit more gentle than he was.

Ichigo finally climbed out of the shower when the water started to get a bit chilly, wrapping himself snuggling in the big fluffy towels he had come to love. He dug through the closet that was mostly filled with his stuff. Kenpachi only owned some clothes, and most of them he stuffed into the dresser out of laziness, leaving Ichigo with enough closet space for everything he owned. It was an unspoken compromise that worked for them.

After finally picking out his clothes for the day, and struggling to put on his jeans (he was gaining weight, and he blamed the good cooking and the fact he had little, if anything exercise related to do) and his t-shirt, he headed down to the kitchen for his breakfast.

"ICHI-MOMMY!!!!" a squeal that he could have heard from miles away was the only warning he got before landing hard on his ass with a pink head of hair suffocating him. He flinched as he was reminded that he wouldn't be sitting comfortable today, especially after the painful landing.

"Good morning to you too, Yachiru," he ruffled her hair and stood up with her in his arms.

"Sorry about that, Ichigo-san," Yumichika came rushing after her, looking worried. "She didn't hurt you did she?"

Ichigo chuckled. "Nah, I'm used to it, and how many times do I have to tell you to call me Ichigo?" Ichigo smiled at his friend. It was a formality they had yet to get over, but Yumichika was trying as best he could. He was just so used to treating everyone as a higher position that it was a habit by now. Especially since Ichigo **was** a higher station; 'bride' of the demon king Kenpachi Zaraki, and son of the demon king Isshin Kurosaki.

"Sorry, Ichigo," Yumichika gave him a smiled and scratched his cheek. Yumichika was what Ichigo would describe as a pretty boy. He woke up at some ridiculous hour to primp and make himself look as good as possible before heading off to the kitchen to figure out what things to make for supper. He just made everyone's breakfast as they came in, just as he did with lunch (at least until Ichigo demanded he be allowed to make his own sandwich at the very least, citing that he was very specific about how he liked his sandwiches, which fully convinced Yumichika to agree to it.) The cook wanted everyone to have everything the way they liked it; he fully believed in letting Ichigo make things he wanted a specific way if he couldn't do it right for him.

Despite being the home of a demon king, only four or five guards lived here with their mates, each of them having their own duty. The only ones Ichigo ever saw was Ikkaku, and another one that rarely spoke and wore a mask over her face to hide a notoriously hideous burn she had received as a child. When Ichigo had gotten up the courage to ask her about it she laughed and said in her odd accent: "Twas za dwagon zat lived in my homeland."

Shortly after that he found out she had originally been a dragon hunter that Kenpachi had took in because of her reputation and because she mated with a servant that had served his family since his father's time.

The others that he had contact with weren't anything special. One did all the laundry, one cleaned most of the halls and things like that, and the others he failed to notice what they did. He felt sort of guilty for that, but at the same time he knew it couldn't be helped when Kenpachi seemed determined to keep him close.

They walked down to the kitchen together, Yachiru talking non-stop about some weird bird she saw that morning in the tree outside her window. Ichigo smiled and just agreed with whatever she said before sitting down at the kitchen table and ordering his normal breakfast of cereal and fruit. Lately it was the only thing that agreed with his system. Yachiru disappeared like she normally did, already have eaten. "Hey, Yumi, have you seen Kenpachi today? I woke up and he wasn't in bed. It's not like him to at least not wake me up and tell me he's going somewhere."

Yumichika sighed and shook his head. "Ikkaku was gone too before I even was up. That worries me... considering I looked around and they weren't fighting each other... not that we wouldn't have felt it from a mile away," he gave a small affectionate smile as he cut up fruit for his friend. It was no secret that they liked sparring together mostly because Ikkaku was one of the few that could give Kenpachi a challenge, next to Ichigo. The lovers had fought once or twice since his arrival, just to test Ichigo's real strength, but one time had ended in a draw, and the other ended in sex.

"Hmm... maybe there was an emergency or something? Or something they had to do that they forgot about? Or they're drunk out back again?" both men frowned at that thought as Yumichika set a bowl of fruit and a bowl of cereal in front of the orange-haired demon.

One day when Ichigo and Kenpachi had gotten into their first ever actual argument, they had found Kenpachi and Ichigo drunk in what might have once been a beautiful garden but now was just a tumble of weeds, hedges and barely living flowers, complaining about their respective mates. As funny as it had been, they were still disciplined. This was when Ichigo had discovered that when he got pissed off and denied Kenpachi sex, the demon king bowed down to his mate. And would find a way to sneak into bed at night, somehow managing to be cute even though he was such a beast of a man in size and appearance. That was part of his attraction though.

Ichigo thought of places they could be. He figured they weren't in the castle; he had become attuned to Kenpachi's aura, he would have sensed it if it was still in the building. Something niggled in the back of his head, something that worried him and he didn't know why, but he was determined to find out. As soon as he finished breakfast of course!

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AN: annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd another anticlimatic cliffhanger. Because tomorrow the REAL fun begins 3 and yes, I'm going to be a bit evil to poor Ichi and Ken.


	2. Chapter 2

Taste of Life

Viva la Viveca

Disclaimer: I can't remember the name of the guy who owns Bleach. I just remember the name of the guy who owns Ichigo. His name is Kenpachi Zaraki. The other guy... well, he should find solace that I don't profit from things like this.

Anon Reviews :: (from Sweet Dreams) I-Kill-U-For-Yaoi - hehe, don't worry, I gotcha covered already and I'm writing the second chapter by the time I got your review! =333

More spoilage for my fans.

Chapter 2 :: Stolen 

Ichigo hadn't kept his breakfast down very well, but after his stomach was devoid of everything he, Yumichika and Yachiru headed outside to try and track the two missing men down. If only to ease his and Yumichika's mind. Of course, the black haired demon was a bit more paranoid, but that was just his pregnant hormones talking to him. Ichigo thought it was sort of funny that hormones could affect people like that, but he had honestly seen worse.

They searched in the back, staying close to the manor just in case, before wandering out into the field a bit. Yachiru ran about, chasing butterflies and picking flowers. "For my Ichi-mommy!" she giggled, handling him a big bouquet of mismatched wild flowers. Ichigo smiled and bent down to kiss her forehead, taking the flowers from her.

"Why don't you go pick Yumi some flowers too? I'm sure it'll make him feel better," he whispered into her ear and sent her off to go find the more flowers. He watched her closely, thinking it adorable that she was so happy. They searched up until the outskirts of the field before sitting a bit to let Yumi catch his breath. He was carrying extra weight, even if he wasn't showing much, it was still a bit tiring for him to be walking so much.

"Where the hell did they get off too?" Ichigo grumbled, a bit irritated at not being able to find them. Neither were strong enough or motivated enough to go searching in the forest, and Kenpachi had blatantly banned him from going in there without him there to protect him. Ichigo could take care of himself yes, but he didn't feel safe otherwise.

"I have no idea, but I'm tired and I'm getting hungry. I'll kick Ikkaku's ass when he comes back..." Yumichika declared with a nod. He looked around, alarm on his face. "Ichigo? Where did Yachiru go?!"

Ichigo looked about. "She was right there just a minute ago..." he stood. "Yachiru?! Yachiru, come back here!"

The air was still, almost suffocating with how dead it felt as he stood there, looking for the pink haired girl. Suddenly a high pitched scream cut through the air, sending the two men running toward the source. "YACHIRU!!!" Ichigo yelled, running over to her body. She lay on the ground, a pool of blood forming underneath her broken body from three large gashes on her little chest. Ichigo kissed her face and checked her pulse. "Yachiru, please wake up, say something anything!"

"Ichigo! Watch out!" Yumichika called out, pointing up in the sky. Ichigo barely made it out of the way while holding Yachiru as a griffin came down from the sky and attacked him.

"Yumi, take her back to the manor and stay there!"

"And get my ass chewed when Kenpachi-sama comes back and finds you dead and Yachiru half way there?! I think not, I'm staying. I have my magic!" Yumichika snapped at him, setting Yachiru out of the way and starting to work out a spell. Ichigo groaned. He wasn't the best at magic, he preferred a sword or hand-to-hand where possible. He merely dodged, trying to act as a distraction for Yumichika while he finished casting. That was the difficulty for halfbreeds; it took longer to use the magic they had stored in them. All their magic was good for was healing quickly in a battle. That's why they were stronger physically, to balance out. They were at a disadvantage here though. No weapons, and hand to hand combat was stupid with any creature, especially big ones that flew.

Yumichika was fairly quick at doing spells. It was what he was meant to do really, he was faster than most full-blooded demons, though for the longest time he had hidden it from everyone, even his closest friend and lover, Ikkaku. He thought it was a weakness among a demon territory full of physical strength. Now though, he saw it as a strength of his own, and knew it was the best bet at beating this enemy.

The griffin made a call out and suddenly Yumichika's spell stopped. "What the FUCK?!" Yumichika cursed, something he rarely did. Ichigo ran back over to him. "We need to run for it, we don't stand a chan-"

He screamed as suddenly his shoulders were grabbed and he was in the air. "FUCK!!!" he screamed, trying to get out of the griffin's grip, only getting claws digging more into his shoulders. He felt himself slowly getting heavier, more tired, though he didn't know why. He heard Yumichika scream his name and then the world went dark.

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It was dark in the room. A small beam of light shimmered through a crack near the floor, from what Ichigo assumed to be a door, but it wasn't enough to illuminate Ichigo's situation. All he knew was that his shoulders were bandaged and sore and that the room was sort of cold. And he was shirt-less. He attributed that to the need for bandages.

He knew he wasn't in his own bed. This bed was much softer and narrower than the one he and Kenpachi shared. Hell, this bed wasn't even big enough for Kenpachi, much less the both of them. He was a bit nervous, but he sat up, cringing when a twinge of pain told him to stop pressuring his arms and shoulders. "Dammit," he whispered.

"Ichigo?" a softer, worried voice whispered across the room. Ichigo looked toward the source of the voice in the darkness.

"Yumi?! You're here too? Are you okay? You're not hurt are you?" Ichigo sat at the edge of the bed, trying to get his bearings enough to move over toward the other man. He was particularly worried about Yumichika's baby.

"I'm fine, we're both fine," Yumichika's voice seemed meant to sooth that very worry. "I don't know where we are though... those claws were laced with a bit of sleeping potion... But... they left Yachiru."

Ichigo finally got the courage to get up and stumble, almost falling in Yumichika's lap when he hit the bed. "Shit! Sorry..." He sat down, feeling his friend move and sit next to him, abnormally close. Ichigo normally would have shied away from the close proximity, but right now he knew they both needed it. They had no idea where they were. "How long have you been up?"

"Hard to tell without a clock or watch, but about thirty minutes, give or take a few... Sleeping potions wear off pretty quickly depending on the potency, normally forty-five minutes is the maximum time," Yumichika's voice was quiet, thoughtful. "I don't know what would be that close, unless the griffins were faster that I originally thought..."

"There were more?"

"Two, one hiding in the trees waiting till it's mate got you. I wasn't paying attention and I got caught... dammit I hope they found Yachiru," his voice broke a little, and he gave a sniffle. Ichigo reached out a bit and patted his arm. "I hope so too..."

They both looked up when they heard voices outside their doors, both on guard despite Ichigo still being a bit drowsy. Suddenly they were shielding their eyes, blocking the light that flooded in from the doorway. A drool, monotone voice was the first thing they heard: "The king requests both of your presences in his throne room."

Ichigo and Yumichika stood up, looking at the pale demon in front of him. He stared back at them with disinterest. "Why the hell should we go to someone who **attacked** a child and then **kidnapped** us?!" Ichigo said loudly, sounding rebellious.

"Because, your lives and the lives of your unborn children are in his hands, Ichigo Kurosaki. Aizen-sama does not appreciate tardyness, so if your question is answered, please follow," Ulquiorra said, turning and exiting the room. Yumichika looked at Ichigo and then down at his stomach, then at his own.

Ichigo blinked, the pale man's words still sinking in, but he followed, decided to find out what this was really about. Yumichika only followed out of duty to the mate of his king, more tempted to stay there and wait for rescue, but knowing Ichigo would never go with that plan, especially if the orange haired man was pregnant. Instinct would drive them both to escape and find their mates soon enough.

Ulquiorra said not another word as he lead them through the white marble halls, toward a large door at the end of the hall, and pushed it open, letting the two demons walk through before shutting it.

"Welcome to my castle, Hueco Mundo, Ichigo Kurosaki. Yumichika Ayasegawa. I am King Sousuke Aizen. Please come forward. I would very much like to discuss something with you."

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AN: Hate the cliffhanger? Want more? Well too bad, you have to wait till tomorrow when it's no longer on the verge of midnight!! XDDDDD Yes, yes... Aizen... I hate the bastard, swore I'd never write him in a story. But Noitra creeps the fuck outta me, Grimmjow's a friend... and I couldn't think of anyone more perfect. Don't worry. Kenpachi will find him and beat the shit outta Aizen. And yes, as Ulquiorra hinted, our little Ichi is having a KenIchi baby (or babies?) Oops? Did I spoil too much? Too bad I have a PLOT TWIST here DDDDDDD Sorry, like I said, verge of midnight and I'm living off of pure sugar right now. I'm a maniac.


	3. Chapter 3

Taste of Life

Viva la Viveca

Disclaimer: Still don't own.

Chapter 3 :: Searching

Kenpachi paused, his face screwed up at the salty tang he could smell in the air. He glanced at Ikkaku. "Blood. Lots of it," he growled and the two ran toward the field. They had been called away by an attack on the borderline between his lands and the human lands, a fight that had taken forever for the simple fact he was trying to fight off the demons and protect himself from the humans who seemed to think he was a part of the attack force.

The sight that met his eyes as they entered the feild was enough to actually shock him. Lying in a pool off blood was Yachiru, with a small bouquet of flowers in one hand. He rushed to her, lifting her up and checking for a pulse. "We have to get her to Unohana. Quickly," he said, looking around. "What the hell was she doing out here alone?!"

"She wasn't alone," Ikkaku was pale as he looked around the area. There looked like there had been some sort of fight there. "There's traces of magic... Yumi's magic..."

Kenpachi huffed and nodded. "We'll check it out in a bit, Yachiru's bleeding heavily still," he ran toward the manor as fast as he could. Unohana was a specialist in healing magic, another servant who had worked for his father long before he had been born. If it had been someone with any less experience, Kenpachi would have already lost hope for the small girl in his arms.

"This is really bad. Looks like traces of sleeping potion as well..." Unohana murmured as she worked, doing her best to close up the wounds. "Griffin claws."

"The only one with griffins on their territory..." Ikkaku started.

"Is Aizen, the fucking bastard," Kenpachi growled loudly. He and Aizen had hated each other since they were kids. Kenpachi hated people that snuck around in the background casting spells of illusion to win a battle, and Aizen hated people who were 'brutish'. Kenpachi looked around a bit. "I'm going to go find Ichigo, Ikkaku come with me."

He had the nagging feeling he wasn't going to find his beloved mate in their room. As a matter of fact he was almost sure of that. It was the feeling that he wouldn't find Ichigo **anywhere** that actually scared him.

They looked high and low for the two, no one had seen them since early in the morning as they were passing by the kitchen, and the rest of the guards were put on alert for any suspicious activity. "Fuck," Kenpachi slammed his fist into the wall before heading back to the place they had found Yachiru. "Where the hell are they?! I **told** Ichigo not to be outside without me there with him! And the idiot went without his sword!"

He had seen the sword he had given Ichigo to protect himself in case something ever happened and Kenpachi wasn't there to protect him; it was right where it had been left the day before when they had been practicing, leaning against the dresser. He was beyond frustrated, and starting to worry. They searched the area.

"Yumi definitely started magic here, but from the looks of it never shot off, because the magic would be stronger," Ikkaku told the taller man. "Ichigo was here too, these are his footprints. There's another pile of flowers over there. I assume Yachiru picked flowers for him then ran off to pick flowers for Yumi..."

Ikkaku was a tracking demon. This was his specialty. Kenpachi would have been happy he was there if it wasn't for the fact his Ichigo was missing. He blinked, looking up when he realized that Ikkaku was still talking. "Looks like they were getting ready to run back to the manor and they got picked up... There had to be two griffins... But... what the hell would Aizen want with them?"

Kenpachi let out a snarl. "We're going to find out, before I rip his fucking throat out," the demon king stalked back to the manor to prepare for a journey. "We're heading North."

Ikkaku nodded, worrying about his mate and their unborn child.

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"What the hell could you possibly have to discuss with us? Let us go!" Ichigo growled, standing in front of Yumichika. He already didn't like this man who called himself a demon king. Behind Aizen's throne stood a man with silver hair and a silver tail that fell to the floor and wrapped around his feet, occasionally twitching curiously. The man grinned at them, his eyes closed. He seemed to be mocking them.

"Ah, Kurosaki. I'd recommend keeping your voice down. Most of the castle is sleeping, but they're quite easy to wake and not very friendly when woken," Aizen's voice echoed throughout the room despite the fact he was fairly quiet. "Really, our business is quite simple. Your father has something of mine, and your mate has been a thorn in my side for years. I want both of them dead and what is mine returned to me."

"Where **is** Kenpachi?" Ichigo figured the strange man would know.

"Ah, your beloved demon king is off fighting the demons I sent as a distraction. I needed him out of the way, I really don't have the time to fight the stupid man right now," Aizen said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Ichigo growled; he didn't like Kenpachi being insulted and he was no where near stupid. "Don't worry, I'm sure he's still alive. He's strong enough to handle a few minor-class demons."

"Why me?"

"Because you're the only one that might be able to convince your father to give me what I want. Well... you're the only bait worthy enough for doing so. It's a mere convenience for you to be pregnant. Oh? You didn't know? Well, now you do. It just adds more to your value, really," Aizen's monologue was causing Ichigo just to get even more irritated. He touched his stomach protectively, the clues from before and this revelation coming together. Of course Ichigo wouldn't have noticed until later, it was one of the things farthest from his mind despite the fact that was basically what he was born for.

"Really, your part is quite simple. As long as you agree, I won't harm you or your child," Aizen had continued on without Ichigo realizing it.

"And why did you bring Yumichika here?" Ichigo was surprised he was being allowed to ask questions.

"Oh, for your company. And he has a part in my plan too, though his part is separate and will be put in place much later. But for now, to keep you company," Aizen stood. He made it sound like he was doing Ichigo a favor by bring Yumichika here. "But now, you both must be hungry. Think of the castle as your temporary home, and while you cooperate, I'll allow you freedom to roam with a guard watching you. I can be a sensible man."

Ichigo glanced at Yumichika and they both nodded. They had no other choice but to agree for the moment. He knew they wouldn't get any information or a way to get out if they didn't. He just wished there was an easy way out of this. "Fine. We'll agree to it. But we stay together," he said with a note of finality.

"Ah, see, and already we're agreeing on something. Yes, of course I'll let the two of you stay together, at least until the plan gets put into play... Ulquiorra will show you to the kitchen and then to your new, more comfortable room. Do not fear to ask him if you need anything else. I have other business I have to attend to, but we'll be seeing each other soon," he gave them a kind smile, though Ichigo could tell it was faked, even as Aizen turned away and headed toward a side door, the fox demon following closely.

The pale man, Ulquiorra, appeared beside them and motioned them back toward the door they had entered from. Once again he said nothing, leading them down a different hall and into a kitchen. It was a pristine white, like the rest of the castle, though there were a few people in it making food. He moved over, whispering in the ear of one, slightly larger, man and nodded, moving over to stand by the door. The cook looked down at them and then turned back to his cooking.

Yumichika stood close behind Ichigo, though his eyes were on Ulquiorra, watching to make sure he didn't try anything funny. They had much to talk about when they got the chance, but two plates of food were set on a counter before them, and they were determined to eat first. You never knew when your last meal was, especially in a foreign place.

After their meal they were lead to a large room with two beds. It was well lit, and there was a tall window that was too thin for either of them to fit through, Ulquiorra informed them he would check on them occasionally before he left. Yumichika went over to the window. "It's already night," he tapped on the window. "Plexiglass. We'd never be able to break it without hurting ourselves."

"Dammit... and he didn't explain shit. What the hell would my old man have that he wants? And why the fuck does he hate Kenpachi so much?" Ichigo sat on one of the beds, rubbing his temples with another growl.

"I don't know much, but as far as I know Kenpachi-sama and Aizen have always been at odds ever since they were young. They're roughly the same age, but two completely different people. Their fathers hated each other too. I guess you could say it was inherited. The other one who still rules is a demon queen, but no one knows anything about her. She's the child of the demon king before her. Normal rules are that when a demon queen mates she loses her position and the demon kings choose a new king or queen. This has been avoided, mostly because your father doesn't take place in this, and because well... Aizen would try to take the territory. Kenpachi-sama could fight it yes but... he'd have to kill Aizen and then there'd be two new kings that need to be chosen. And the people would probably think he's trying to take all the territories," Yumichika explained, though Ichigo was only half listening. Yumichika sat down next to him. "He'll come for you though. He loves you too much not to."

Ichigo nodded. "I think I'm actually scared for the first time in a while," he murmured, touching his stomach lightly. "If I'm really having a kid... this could turn out really bad for all of us... We need to find a way to get in touch with Kenpachi and Ikkaku or someone. Anyone..."

There wasn't anymore to be said. They both knew what they had to do, it was just a matter of actually doing it that was the trick. They just hoped that their mates wouldn't do anything stupid, especially since it could end up quite disastrous for all of them.

They went to bed, but for Yumichika sleep wouldn't come easy. Luckily, for Ichigo, it did.

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AN: And yes, the demon queen will make her appearance as well. You'z gonna be surprised who it is! So another chapter has gone by. It may be a couple days before the next is up; tomorrow I'm busy with cleaning and stuff, and the day after I have to go see my niece in the hospital because of her surgery. Also, May will probably see a shit ton of updates on all my stories due to my surgery on the 13th, so, even if I get busy and don't update for a while, I'll more than make up for it.


	4. Chapter 4

Taste of Life

Viva la Viveca

Disclaimer: Still don't own.

Chapter 4 :: Dreaming of You

_He didn't know how he knew when his dreams shifted from the mundane dreams of babies and eating to the almost real world he had in his head; he just knew it happened and he knew **he** was there._

"_Kenpachi?" he said breathlessly, smelling that scent he knew so well on the wind. The world that was so deep in his subconscious he could **feel. **He hadn't expected this, but he knew he should have. This was Kenpachi's power after all._

"_Where the hell are you? We've been searching forever but we can't find any tracks or signs." Kenpachi's voice was urgent as he wrapped his arms around his mate protectively, as if he knew this connection was limited._

"_A place called Hueco Mundo, if I remember correctly. I hate it, it's all white. We're being held against our will by some Aizen?" Ichigo turned in the arms and looked up into his beloved's scarred face. It was full of love and concern."Yachiru, did you find Yachiru? Is she alive? I'm so sorry I couldn't prot-"_

_Kenpachi silenced him with a firm kiss. Ichigo nearly melted at the taste of his mate's lips."She's alive, though the scarring's going to be bad. We'll talk about her later. You're okay? What about Yumi?"_

"_We're both fine. I have wounds from where the griffin grabbed me, but otherwise unharmed," Ichigo showed him the bandages on his shoulders. He felt the world waver a bit. "Are you coming for us?"_

"_Yes, now that we know where you are we're heading straight there, but I have to go, it's too dangerous to stay like this much longer. I don't doubt Aizen's watching for something like this to happen, he knows I have this power," Kenpachi gave him another kiss, this one more passionate than the one before. "I love you, and I'm coming for you."_

_Ichigo didn't know what possessed him to say it, even as the demon king was fading away, but before he was completely gone he blurted out: "I'm pregnant!" in an excited voice. He didn't get a reply. Kenpachi was gone._

Ichigo woke with a start, panting and wiping some sweat of his forehead. He hadn't thought of Kenpachi's power to get into his dreams in a while; there was never any need to anymore since they were together. Now he was glad for it, when it had once been a burden for him. He stretched out and got up, going and shaking Yumichika awake. He needed to tell him about the dream. They could both use the reassurance they there was rescue coming for them. He knew Yumichika was particularly worried about it.

"Huh? What?" Yumichika whined, glaring at him before realizing that it was Ichigo waking him up and not Ikkaku. He remembered they're situation. "Ichigo? Is something wrong?"

"No, not wrong, not wrong at all," Ichigo said with a new hope in his eyes as he sat and told his friend about his 'dream'.

Kenpachi blinked as he sat up from his magic-induced sleep. It was the only way for him to really be able to activate the dream magic. He had always cursed his only magical ability being in sleep and dream magic, something so weak and trivial, but days like this he once again realized its usefulness, especially if he ever bothered to use it to it's fullest potential. Something he never intended on doing. That was too underhanded for him.

"Well? Where are they? Is Yumi okay? They're not hurt right? Did he say anything about Yumi or the baby?" Ikkaku asked, looking at him with wide eyes. He had been on the verge of panic after not finding a sign of them.

"Well..." Kenpachi blinked again, trying to make sure he had heard the last part right in the dream. It was something he had expected to come sometime soon, but it was still a bit shocking. "He definitely mention **a** baby... just... not yours..."

Ikkakua's eyes widened even more, knowing what Kenpachi meant when he said that. "Ichigo is..."

Kenpachi nodded, a grin on his face before the seriousness set in and he stood. "All the more reason to get going and quickly. Now we have four lives in our hands. I wish I could have had more time to get more information," he said, strapping his sword to his back and shouldering the pack he had brought with food in it in case he needed it. He more intended it for the return journey home for Ichigo.

"We know where they are though, right?" Ikkaku was standing as well, his sword resting on his shoulder. He was relieved to hear they were alright, and happy that his good friend was having a kid, but all demons had one thing on their mind when it came that time: protecting their mate or child. And he had both to protect at the moment. He knew Kenpachi now felt the same way.

"Aizen's freaky-ass castle. If nothing else this'll be good for a few decent fights if anyone dares get in our way," Kenpachi's grin was nothing short of menacing. Even Ikkaku who had known him for years shivered a bit at the thought of what the demon king could and would do to those people. "We'll take out Aizen while we're at it. I wouldn't put him past it to pull shit like this again, besides, I think it's time we vote in a better king."

Ikkaku nodded. "Well then, no sense wasting anymore time. We have a long run ahead of us," he said and they took off. Demons could run fast over a long period of time, something that was mostly used because the distance between demon villages back in the old days. It was an ability that had sort of formed over the years and had never left. It was now more useful for battles than anything.

The four territories were separated by large amounts of human territory. Really there was only three territories now that Isshin Kurosaki had abandoned his lands. Demons of all types lived there peacefully, not apart of the squabbles of any other demon ruler, just a land of free demons that lived in their separate clans.

They had to run through human territory all the way up to the mountainous Northern Range, which was an inconvenience especially since then they'd have to actually not run at their full speed. It was forbidden to use any demon abilities in human territory, a rule Kenpachi himself had 'voted' in. Humans saw any usage of power a threat and potential attack. It was meant too avoid bloodshed. Now Kenpachi saw it as the biggest pain in his ass ever.

They ran whenever they came to a wooded area or it fell dark, feeling it was much faster. They made the trip in a record of two days and only had another few miles to go when they officially stopped for a break. "Why the hell can't we just bust in there?" Kenpachi cursed, perched on the edge of a cliff watching the completely white castle. Like the mountains around it, it looked so cold and creepy. His Ichigo was in there though, and their baby too.

"That fucking place is like a fortress, Kenpachi. We'll get fucking lost if we just barge in there, not to mention we'll draw attention and the likelihood of even getting to them will go out the window," Ikkaku sighed, eating a bit to prepare for the oncoming battle he could feel coming. He wasn't nervous, just worried about his mate and their unborn child. This was a risky operation for them to go through with, but he didn't see any way to get the two men back otherwise.

"If we're fast enough it doesn't fucking matter does it?" The larger man replied, standing up and pulling out his sword and getting ready to charge. "Plus, Aizen probably won't hurt them if he's trying to bait me. As long as they're useful to him, they're safe. We'll get them before he has a chance to hurt them."

He was so confident in himself, that Ikkaku believed him. He knew they were strong enough to do it. They would manage it some how.

They climbed down from the cliffs and heading toward. They could find no better way than the front door, as there were no windows anywhere near the ground nor was there another entrance.

"You ready?" Kenpachi said as they approached, already feeling the crackling of power from inside.

"Great, a battle right off the bat..." Ikkaku couldn't help but grin. "I'm always ready."

And with that they headed off to save their mates.

AN: As crappy as it is, I figured ya'll would appreciate an actual map of the demon territories. These are general sizes and areas, not really accurate. http ://img. photobucket. com/ albums/ v225/ LonelyChild/ DemonTerritories .png minus the spaces of course.

Sorry this isn't better, but I've been busy lately and now I have surgery next week. But alas, here is the update!


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